New Delhi: Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has set aside the death penalty of a Sri Lankan engineer convicted of insulting Prophet Muhammad, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Arun Hemachandra announced on Wednesday.
Anojan Sivarasa, 24, was sentenced to death by an appellate court after he was found guilty of blasphemy against Islam and Prophet Muhammad over a comment he posted on Facebook. Originally from Natpittimunai in Sri Lanka’s eastern province, he had moved to Saudi Arabia in September 2025 to work as a technical engineer at a battery factory.
The case prompted a sustained diplomatic campaign since July, with Sivarasa’s family, political leaders, religious figures and human rights groups appealing to Saudi authorities to spare his life.
Announcing the Supreme Court’s decision on Facebook, Hemachandra wrote, “My sincere appreciation to the Government of Saudi Arabia for its cooperation, and to our Ambassador, the Secretary and officials of the Foreign Ministry, Chairman and Members of Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau and the Sri Lankan and Saudi legal teams for their dedicated efforts.”
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How Facebook comment led to arrest
The controversy began in late June, when footage circulated widely on social media showing a Muslim man kicking a dog that was following Hindu devotees undertaking a pilgrimage in Sri Lanka. The video triggered heated online exchanges, including derogatory remarks by a user about a Hindu deity. Sivarasa responded in Tamil with a comment allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad, according to accounts of the case.
His brother, Hamsidan Sivarasa, told BBC Sinhala that Sivarasa later deleted the comment and apologised. However, a screenshot of the remark was brought to the attention of his employer and Saudi authorities, leading to his arrest in July.
His brother told the BBC that the complaint originated in Sri Lanka, saying, “People in Saudi Arabia knew nothing about this matter.” He said individuals in Sri Lanka had emailed Sivarasa’s employer, which then notified Saudi authorities, prompting them to register a case against him.
Saudi officials subsequently seized Sivarasa’s personal devices, and his social media accounts were deleted.
From 5-year prison term to death sentence
The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially sentenced Sivarasa to five years in prison and fined him 3 million Saudi riyals (around Rs 7.7 crore). An appeal seeking a reduction in the sentence was rejected, according to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
The case took a more serious turn on 17 September, when Saudi prosecutors sought to prosecute Sivarasa under Sharia law rather than the country’s cybercrime legislation. The appellate court accepted the request and imposed the death penalty.
The family subsequently sought government intervention to secure Sivarasa’s release. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also met his family at the Presidential Secretariat on 21 September and assured them that the government would make every effort to secure a pardon.
However, the family was quoted in reports as saying it had received no direct communication from Sivarasa since 28 September. Before Wednesday’s announcement, it remained unclear whether he would face further legal proceedings or continue to be detained and, if so, for how long.
The campaign for his release drew support across religious communities. Senior Buddhist leaders, including the Mahanayaka Theros of the Ramanna Nikaya and Amarapura Maha Nikaya, joined Hindu religious leaders in submitting a memorandum to the Presidential Secretariat seeking urgent government intervention.
Political parties, government agencies and civil society groups also pressed for clemency.
International human rights organisations also joined the appeals. On Tuesday, the Human Rights Watch called on Saudi authorities to stop using what it described as abusive laws to impose severe sentences for speech-related offences.
The organisation said such penalties were particularly concerning when applied to migrant workers, who often have limited protections and are vulnerable to exploitation.
Wider concerns over online content
Sivarasa’s case has renewed concerns about Saudi Arabia’s treatment of people accused of offences involving online expression.
In July 2023, a Saudi court sentenced Mohammed Al Ghamdi, a retired schoolteacher, to death over comments he posted on social media, according to the United Nations. His death sentence was later overturned, and he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to ALQST, an independent human rights organisation focused on Saudi Arabia.
Amnesty International criticised Al Ghamdi’s death sentence at the time, saying he had been accused of little more than expressing his opinions on social media.
The cases have drawn attention to the severe penalties that can follow online comments in Saudi Arabia, where criticism and religious expression can carry significant legal risks.
Saudi Arabia is home to more than 10 million foreign workers, according to the International Organisation for Migration. Rights groups say low-wage migrant workers can face additional hurdles in navigating the legal system, including language barriers and inadequate access to legal representation.
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)
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